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A Ugandan athlete living in Kenya was attacked and set on fire by her boyfriend and is receiving treatment for burns on 75% of her body, police said.

Rebecca Cheptegei, a distance runner who finished at the 44th position in the 2024 Paris Olympics, was attacked in her house in the western Trans Nzoia County.

Trans Nzoia County Police Commander Jeremiah ole Kosiom said Monday that Cheptegei’s boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema, bought a jerrican of petrol, poured it on her and set her ablaze during a disagreement Sunday. Ndiema also sustained burn wounds, and the two are receiving specialized treatment at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret city.

Cheptegei’s parents said their daughter bought land in Trans Nzoia to be near the county’s many athletic training centers.

  • Subtracty@lemmy.worldEnglish
    101·
    3 months ago

    What an absolutely horrific change in her day to day life over the course of a few short weeks. I hope she recovers quickly, although I hear that burn recovery is brutal and that her boyfriend goes to prison forever for such a malicious act.

    • Maeve@kbin.earth
      621·
      3 months ago

      I recently learned that debridement is scrubbing the burned area, usually without anesthetics, with wire-bristle brushes, to remove eschar and debris until it bleeds (ensuring blood flow to feed grafts or newly growing skin). May she received quickly and be made whole.

      • BassTurd@lemmy.worldEnglish
        20·
        3 months ago

        I did a job shadow at a PT clinic years ago. That’s where I learned that. Just scrape it all off until it eventually heals.

        I used to have a manager that once slid out on her motorcycle on some loose sand and got a bit of road rash. The recovery was similar.

        • Maeve@kbin.earth
          81·
          3 months ago

          Yes, any kind of wound with debris or necrotic tissue. There are other methods, but I would imagine it greatly depends on the depth and extent of the wound and necrosis/foreign particulate matter. I would imagine it’s also true of corrosive wounds (chemical burns, of anyone wonders).

      • Hobbes@startrek.websiteEnglish
        16·
        3 months ago

        I had this done in about 1 square inch on top of my foot for a staph infection I got after crashing my bike. It was insanely painful.

  • I_Has_A_Hat@lemmy.worldEnglish
    553·
    3 months ago

    75% of her body

    Oh… She’s likely not going to make it. There’s no coming back from that much of the body being burned. Infection is all but guaranteed. Just horrific.

    • werefreeatlast@lemmy.worldEnglish
      43·
      3 months ago

      My brother did. So don’t lose faith. And he’s fucking stronger and taller than me today 30 years later…plus it was 30 years ago in a shitty part of the world too. You can do it! 💪.

        • werefreeatlast@lemmy.worldEnglish
          3·
          3 months ago

          It’s a very long story the details are too pii, but basically my bro got most of his skin with 3rd degree burns and he was in the hospital for about a year. He died a few times. Do you know anyone who has died a few times? When we got him back, he was different. Always easily irritated and angry. He grew up like that, today he controls it a little better but he can’t stand others so he’s single. I think it’s the incredible amount of steroids he was given to promote cell growth and for other pii reasons.

          • filister@lemmy.worldEnglish
            1·
            3 months ago

            Oh man, that’s rough. I feel sorry about your brother. No human being deserves to go through so much pain and suffering. I hope he can at least appreciate some stuff in life and enjoy it every now and then. And I can imagine how hard it is to you and your family. I wish you all the best!

            • werefreeatlast@lemmy.worldEnglish
              2·
              3 months ago

              Thanks. But yeah, that’s the thing, lot’s of people have survived to tell about it. There’s no loosing hope until the last breath. And like I mentioned, the guy is fine today. Just some chest scars and such but otherwise all that is in the past.

    • stoly@lemmy.worldEnglish
      15·
      3 months ago

      I get what you’re saying but I think the bigger problem is whether the medical facility has the people equipment and supplies.

    • LordGimp@lemm.eeEnglish
      68·
      3 months ago

      Idk feel like they should have special circumstances crucifixion for shit like this. Maybe gender relations in Africa could be improved with one simple trick.

        • LordGimp@lemm.eeEnglish
          44·
          3 months ago

          Exactly. You commit violence against your neighbor and boom! The state comes and violently nails your ass to a cross. I’m calling it “the consequences of your own actions.”

          • Tyfud@lemmy.worldEnglish
            3·
            3 months ago

            You don’t want the state to get used to committing extreme violence with their citizens.

          • Honytawk@lemmy.zipEnglish
            41·
            3 months ago

            Nor do you want the death penalty to return.

            Who is to say their neighbor didn’t burn her trying to frame the guy? If you aren’t 100% sure then you might be killing innocents. And you can never be 100% sure.

            • LordGimp@lemm.eeEnglish
              11·
              3 months ago

              Sure you do. Some people are simply a net negative to their society. For example, someone who burns an Olympian to death with gasoline over a property dispute. Or a sex trafficker who kidnaps women to sell into slavery. There’s plenty of good reasons to unalive certain members of our society. The violence is simply a deterrent

              • howrar@lemmy.caEnglish
                1·
                3 months ago

                Who is to say their neighbor didn’t burn her trying to frame the guy? If you aren’t 100% sure then you might be killing innocents. And you can never be 100% sure.